Air flask for torpedoes



W. DIETER.

AIR FLASK FOR TORPEDOES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE la, 1921.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM DIETER, OP NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNOR To VITTLEA DEVELOPMENTCORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE AIR FLASK FOR TORPEDOES.

lApplication led June 18,

To all yw hom. t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DIETER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air Flasksfor Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides an improved means for attaching the heads tocompressed air reservoirs or flasks such as are used in automobiletorpedoes of the Whitehead or Bliss-Leavitt types.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal mid-section onthe line 1-1 in Fig. 2, showing the rear portion of the air flask andits head and appurtenant parts;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2--2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on a larger scale, showing a portion of theflask in section, and the head and fastening in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the fastening clamps.

In the drawings, A is the body of the flask and B is its head. C' is aportion of the afterbody or hull of the tor edo, A is the usual rearwardextension o the flask, and D is the supplemental head applied to thelatter, whereby to enclose the usual water receptacle E within which isordinarily suspended a vessel F constituting a fuel receptaclecontaining alcohol or other liquid fuel. The air connection from thehead B to and through the head D is shown at G, with the usual couplingH connecting the airdischarge pipe I. All of these parts are or may beof the usual and customary construction, except for the means forfastening the head B to the flask body, as will be described.

The forward head of the flask is constructed and attached precisely likethe rear head` B, and is, in fact, a duplicate thereof, except that ithas no outlet opening a where the connection G is applied, being at thispoint imperforate, as is well understood. The description of the rearhead B will serve for either head.

The flask A has the usual internal flange or rib b, and the head B hasthe usual mar- 1921. Serial No. 478,773.

ginal flange c which takes against the inner side of the flange b in theusual manner. This construction affords great strength for res1st1ng theheavy internal pressure of the compressed air confined within the flask.It 1s, however, necessary to apply fastening means to hold the head inpositIon when the flask 1s empty, and for this purpose it has heretoforebeen customary to introduce a. series. of screws through holes drilledlongltudmally of the torpedo through the internal flange b, these holesbeing spaced at su1tably fre uent intervals. The screws pass freely trough holes in the flange b, and their threaded ends engage tapped holes1n the flange c, which holes, however, do not pass through the flange.This construct1on has long been used, and is mechanically suitable,although it is inconvenient and i difficult to introduce the screws,especially `at the rear end, where the flask extension A `flanges b andc for the short distance (approximately one-eighth inch) exterior to theholes in the flange b through which the screws pass. It is extremelydifficult .to make a suitably tight joint between the abutting faces ofthe flanges b c where these faces are so reduced as they are exterior tothe screw holes, with the result that compressed air frequently leaksfrom the flask into the water vessel E, where it generates anundesirable pressure and requires the provision of special meansforrelieving this pressure. The difficulties referred to are enhanced bythe necessity of partly mutilating'the flanges b c at diametricallyopposite points in yorder to make provision for introducing the headfrom one end of the flask. For this purpose the flange c is cut into, ondiametrically opposite sides, to an extent indicated by the line a: inFig. 3, that is, for a distance barely exceeding half the overlap of theflanges b c; this cut-away portion is substantially straight, beingtheoretically the chord of an arc, these portions being shown in dottedlines at y, y, in Fig. 2.

Reciprocally, the flange b has to be cut or notched into ondiametrically opposite sides to an extent sufficient to admit thecut-away portions y, y, of the flange c, so that the head may be turnedwith its plane parallel to the longitudinal transverse plane of theflask bod and with its portions y, y, coinciding with such notches,andfthen passed longitudinally through the latter, after which the headis turned into its normal plane and brought into position with itsflange c against the flange b, but wlththe cut-away portions of theseflanges out of coincidence. In Fig. 2 the notches in the flange b areshown at z, a. The difficulty of leakage already referred to exists notonly at the screw holes, but also where the joint between the flanges bc is narrowed by reason of their cut-away portions y and z. At thecut-away portions y it is necessary that the fastening screws beinterrupted in order that they may be so widely spaced as to pass whollybeyond thesev cut-away portions on opposite sides. Thus, the screwscannot in practice approach'closer than the locations indicated at v--oin Fig. 2. It will be understood that the notches z z are notnecessarily formed on both the front and rear flanges b, it `beingsufficient to form these notches in, for example, the frontflange, andintroduce both the front and rear heads through the same pair ofnotches. For clearness they are shown in the drawing as applied to therear flange b.

uch being the disadvantages incident to the use of the fastening screwsheretofore resorted to, the merits of the present improvement will nowbe made apparent.

According to the present invention, the flanges b are not perforated,nor are they cut away otherwise than to form the necessary notches z forenabling the head to be inserted. Also, the flanges c have no holesbored in them, and are not cut away or reduced otherwise than to formthe flats y y. The head B is formed with suitably spaced bosses (l (foulbeing shown), these being thickened portions adapted to receivefastening screws. To these bosses are fastened L-shaped clamps e whichare drawn to the bosses by screws f, and bear at their inner ends eagainst the flange b. Advantageously, these ends e are made oblique orblunty wedge-shaped. as best shown in Fig. 3, and the flange b ischamfered off to an equal bevel, as shown. Each lug d forms on its outerface a guide for the longitudinal leg of the clamp e. By means of thisguiding function of the lug, and the wedging action of the ends e of theclamps, the tightening of the clamps has a centering effect, and at the.same time affords a very tight, snug joint wholly devoid of loosenessand without liability of the working loose of the fastening screws 7.These screws are shown as hav-V ing squared heads to receive atightening key, and passing freely through holes in the clamps andscrewing into tapped holes in the lugs al. It is preferable to apply twoscrews to each clamp, and to form the clamp in effect as a double clamp,splittmg its outer portion in the manner best shown 1n Figf` 4.-

he improved construction insures that the joint between the abuttingshoulders of theflangesqb and c shall be of the entire width of contactbetween these flanges, and avoidsV an leakage due to perforationstherein. he construction is also more convenient to assemble or takeapart, because the screws are removed so much farther from the outerwall A and carried so much farther outside of, the flange 7J, that thescrews are more easily reached.

`While the construction shown is the preferred embodiment of theinvention, yet it will be understood that it may be considerablymodified or varied without departing from its essential features, whichare set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination with an air flask body having an internal flange, andits head having an external flange, of clamps applied to the outer sideof the head and bearing against the internal flange, the bearing ends ofthe clamps and the bearing faces of said flange being beveled.

2. The combination with an air flask having an internal flange, and ahead entering within said flask and having an external flange seatingagainst said internal flange, of a plurality of independent fasteningclamps arranged at angular intervals around the 100 circumference of thehead, each comprising a screw engaging the head and a part engaged bysaid screw and having a portion bearing externally against said internalflange, to draw the respective flanges into 105 tight seating relation.

3. The combination with an air flask body havin an internal flange withnotches on opposlte sides, and a head having an external flange reducedat opposite sides to en- 110 ter through such notches, of a plurality ofindependent fastening means arranged at angular intervals around thecircumference of the head, each comprising a screw engaging the head anda part pressing against 115 said'internal flange, to draw therespectiveflanges into tight seating relation.

4. The combination with an air flask having an internal flange, and ahead entering within said flask and having an external 120 flangeseating against said internal flange, said head formed with a pluralityof external lugs arranged at angular intervals around vitscircumference, of fastening portion engaging and guided by thecircumferential face of its lug and bearing at its end against theinternal flange, and an angular portion, and a screw entering the lugand drawing such angular portion toward the head to draw the respectiveflanges into tight seating engagement.

5. The combination with an air flask having an internal flange, and ahead entering Within said ask and having an external flange seatingagainst said internal flange, of

a plurality of independent fastening clamps arranged at angularintervals around the circumference of the head, each comprising ascrewengaging the head, and an L-shaped part having one leg in a planeperpendicular to the screw and. engaged thereby, and its other leg in aplane parallel with the screw and erpendicular to the plane of the'seating aces of said flanges, and bearing externally against saidinternal iiange, Whereby to communicate thereto the thrust of the screwto draw the respective flanges into tight seating relation.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto 2| signed my name.

WILLIAM DIETER.

